Thursday, April 28, 2016

Moscow Tries to Divide and Weaken Europe but Its Actions Unite and Expand It, Gudkov Says

Paul
Goble

Staunton, April 27 – Despite all of
Vladimir Putin’s efforts to divide and weaken Europe, no one has done more to “strengthen
European unity” and prompt all but a handful of Russia’s former allies to look
to Brussels rather than Moscow as their desired goal, according to opposition
politician Gennady Gudkov.

The reason for this is clear and
known to all, he argues. “The Russian state in the person of its political
leadership does not respect and does not want to recognize the key principles
of world civilization.”And if this
trend continues, Russia’s only allies will be Turkmenistan and North Korea or
possibly Zimbabwe (echo.msk.ru/blog/gudkov/1754580-echo/).

In an Ekho Moskvy post, Gudkov goes
through the list of countries that have turned away from Russia and toward Europe:
Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Montenegro, Moldova, Georgia,
Ukraine and the list goes on.Now even
Serbia on whom Russia has devoted so much attention is turning away from Russia
and toward Europpe

While Moscow media blames this on
the US and Barack Obama – Russian propaganda “couldn’t do otherwise” – in fact
Russia has only itself to blame. Indeed, thanks to Putin, Ukraine’s process of
nation building and turning to Europe has been accelerated “by about 50 or even
more years.”

The fundamental reason that all
these countries are looking to Europe is “simple.”“Both Germany and the other countries of
Europe have built a very attractive political and economic model of
development,” one that has attracted others to their banner rather than driving
them away as Moscow has.

“Does Europe have problems and
difficulties?” Gudkov asks rhetorically. “Of course.” But these are the kind of
problems that can be addressed rather than shortcomings of the system “which
make any progress impossible” as is the case with Russia. Consequently, Moscow’s
efforts to weaken Europe are “absolutely senseless and condemned to complete
defeat.”

The Kremlin’s own policies, its “thieving
plutocracy,” lies about everything, and its nuclear threatens, “always will
drive away from Russia other countries and peoples and transform the great
Russian power into an outcast state.” So
far, Russians still blame others; but Gudkov suggests they will eventually
understand why this is happening and who is to blame.